Chapter 87: Such a Fair Lady, But Alas...

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Such a Fair Lady, But Alas...

He looked at his Skill Tree, then at the person lying not far away.

He hesitated for a moment, but out of a sense of humanitarian concern, Su Han decided to go check on the person first.

’The tree is right here, and it’s not like anyone’s going to fight me for it.’

But a person... ’Then again, finding someone passed out on a mountain that just appeared out of nowhere feels pretty damn strange.’

Still, skill breeds confidence, and Su Han wasn’t afraid of much.

’It’s a woman.’

He walked toward the person lying on a large rock, and as he drew closer, Su Han saw it was a woman dressed entirely in black.

The woman wore black clothes and black shoes, dressed in black from head to toe. The only contrast was her pale hands and face, which seemed even whiter against her dark attire.

He moved even closer. When he saw her face clearly, Su Han froze for a second before subconsciously quickening his pace.

Reaching her side, he held a hand to her nose to check for breath. There was nothing, not even the slightest warmth.

He checked her pulse. There was no sign of a beat.

His Eye of Truth confirmed it—no vital signs whatsoever.

’What a shame~’

He glanced at the woman’s face again, a look of pity on his own.

’Such a beauty, but alas... she’s a goner!’

’Oh well, I guess I’ll do the right thing.’

Meeting like this was fate. He wasn’t sure if his Suiyuan Swordsmanship could have killed her if she weren’t already dead, but since their paths had crossed, he couldn’t just leave her body exposed to the elements.

He rummaged through his Storage Ring and pulled out an iron shovel he used to give Su Xiao’Er for digging when they hunted gophers as children. Beside the large rock, Su Han dug a pit over two meters long, a meter wide, and two meters deep.

In truth, he could have just punched a hole in the ground and been done with it.

But... this was a burial, after all. Su Han felt a little ceremony was in order.

He felled a few nearby trees with his sword and used Artifact Refining techniques to create a coffin.

After placing the coffin in the pit, Su Han lifted the woman’s body and gently laid it inside the coffin—a vessel comparable to a four-star Magical Artifact.

"You’re lucky you ran into me. You won’t be left to the elements, and in this coffin, you could lie here for hundreds or thousands of years without a single bug or snake getting to you."

Muttering to himself, Su Han picked up the coffin lid, ready to seal it.

Just as he was about to put the lid on, Su Han’s hand paused, moved by some strange impulse.

’Is she really dead? What if she could still be saved, and I’m about to bury her alive?’

Feeling a sense of responsibility for the citizens of his domain, Su Han put down the coffin lid and decided to check one more time.

He leaned over, slowly pressing his ear toward the woman’s chest, right where her heart would be.

Even for a cultivator, the heart was one of the body’s most vital organs.

If there was even a shred of life left, it would be centered around the heart.

As he slowly lowered his ear toward her heart, Su Han had a feeling that the temperature around him was starting to drop.

A chilling gust of wind swept by, raising goosebumps all over Su Han’s skin.

He looked up at the sky, which had become overcast at some point, and couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

’Am I... am I actually seeing a ghost?’

He had Celestial Punishment on his side, so he wasn’t afraid of even the most powerful ghosts, but this scene still made his hair stand on end...

’A sinister wind, a bone-deep chill... this is a sign of great misfor— ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! What sign of great misfortune? There are no great... *breasts* here, either.’

As he muttered, his gaze swept over the woman’s chest.

’A-cups. I’ll pass!’

’It’s just the weather turning. It’s about to rain. I’m just scaring myself!’

With that, Su Han gritted his teeth and resumed what he was doing.

The wind grew stronger, the temperature plummeted.

Su Han was genuinely starting to get spooked.

’Have I really stumbled upon something powerful?’

’I’d better make sure. If she’s really dead, I’ll bury her quick and get out of here.’

He slowly pressed his ear against her chest and listened for a moment. Su Han couldn’t help but shake his head in disappointment.

’Such a pity. So young... ’

He glanced at her A-cups and muttered, "They’re just A-cups, but if she were still alive, there’s always a chance for improvement."

As he said this, he reached for the coffin lid on the ground. His eyes involuntarily flicked to the woman’s face.

He glanced again.

And one more time.

The sinister wind died down, and the chill receded, as if the whole thing had just been an illusion.

The moment their eyes met, Su Han’s mind went completely blank.

Calm.

Deep.

Without the slightest ripple.

Her black eyes were like a bottomless abyss, threatening to pull you in and drown you.

After a long moment, Su Han finally snapped out of it.

The coffin lid fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"So... if I told you I was just checking for a heartbeat, would you believe me?"

He was telling the truth, but under her unblinking stare, Su Han felt inexplicably guilty.

’But what the hell do I have to feel guilty about?’

’I’m the Young Prince! I’m supposed to be brazen even when I’m in the wrong!’

The woman stared at Su Han for a long time before blinking slowly.

"That’s right. I was just checking for a heartbeat."

Su Han smiled. "Good thing you woke up when you did. Otherwise, I might’ve already buried you."

The woman followed his gesture and glanced down at the coffin she was lying in.

Noticing her gaze, Su Han added casually, "I made it myself. Put a whole bunch of Array Inscriptions on it. It’s on par with a four-star Magical Artifact..."

The moment the words left his mouth, Su Han had to fight the urge to slap himself.

’What kind of stupid shit am I saying?’

’Bragging about the quality of the coffin to the person I just put in it? Is this really a normal topic of conversation?’

"Uh, sorry about that. I really thought you were dead, so I..."

He knew there were many Secret Techniques in the world that could make a living person seem even more dead than an actual corpse.

The most common was the Turtle Breath Skill. There was a copy of it lying around back at the Prince’s Residence, but he’d never even bothered to look at it.

He just hadn’t considered it at first. After all, who in their right mind would come out to a mountain and practice the Turtle Breath Skill while lying on a rock?

’Wasn’t she afraid a wild beast might come along and eat her?’

The woman shook her head slightly, her eyes still fixed on Su Han, a thoughtful look within them.

Being stared at like that made Su Han feel a little awkward. "Well, since you’re okay, you probably shouldn’t keep lying in a coffin. It’s bad luck. Let me help you up."

Su Han reached out to help her. The woman climbed out of the coffin and stood before him.

Only when she was standing did Su Han realize she was just a tiny bit shorter than him.

’I just turned sixteen, and my height is about 176 centimeters by my past life’s measurements. That means this woman must be at least 173 cm, maybe even a bit taller.’

Sizing up the woman now standing alive before him and considering everything that had happened, Su Han decided she was far too mysterious. It was best to keep his distance.

"Well, uh, I’ve got some things to do. If you’re all right, I’m just gonna... go?"

The woman didn’t nod, nor did she shake her head.

"I’m leaving, then," Su Han said again, giving a little wave. "See you."

She watched Su Han’s retreating back. He left the second he said he would, without a moment’s hesitation.

The woman lowered her head to look at the tips of her toes, her eyes pensive.